Kauwboy

Jojo (Rick Lens) is a rambunctious ten year old, living with his volatile father (Loek Peters) in rural Holland, who finds and nurtures a baby jackdaw. As boy and bird soar above domestic troubles, the influence of ‘Kes’ is keenly felt. But driving this stripped-down family drama is the questionable whereabouts of Jojo’s musician mother. When the truth emerges, the answer exposes the gulf between how kids and adults cope with trauma. The camerawork is terrifically energetic, as Jojo charges through grassy surrounds, contrasting with the heaviness of his pugilistic father. Seemingly a simple film, the power of ‘Kauwboy’ becomes suddenly clear when a perfect piece of dialogue injects events with breathtaking retrospective meaning.